Nameless
by Mizu-Tenshi
Summary: AU Loveless xover. Names are important. For Fai and Kurogane, their name brought them together and now their name will destory them. Is it foolish to be bound by a word etched upon your skin? KuroFai, RitsukaSoubi, slight SyaoSaku, SoubiSeimei. Four-shot
1. Dauntless

This was initially a crazy idea that popped into my head a few months ago that just wouldn't leave me alone. I just wanted to write a spell battle and it turned into this, but I quite like it so it's all fine. Set before Seimei's "death."

* * *

**01. Dauntless**

His body was trembling a little. Maybe it was the cold, maybe it was his fear of being caught, but his body would not stop shaking. He bit down hard upon his lip, hardly daring to breath, as he peeked through the crack between the doors. It was so hard to see.

The adults had gathered. He could not see them well but he knew that they were there. Their voices were clear and distinct in the silence of the night, sometimes sounding too loud, sometimes too harsh.

"I think that we may have found her Fighter."

A male voice. The smell of smoke drifted through the gap; an unaccustomed smell which made his eyes water and his ears twitch.

"But -"

"Her _real_ Fighter," the man said calmly. "That's just one of Nagisa-sensei's experiments. She's nothing but a substitute doll," he gestured to a young girl sitting in a cushioned chair.

He had not noticed her at first; she was wearing black and had almost blended in with the background. Indeed, she sat as though she were a doll, seeing nothing, saying nothing, her expression blank and unreadable. He leaned forward, straining his eyes for a better look.

She was beautiful. Her flaxen hair was almost the same colour as his, but longer and smooth, falling down her back to her hips, her face was calm, like a finely crafted work of art, but her eyes were hollow. Empty. They looked so lonely. He wondered, was she crying? He could see no tears but he thought she might be crying.

Someone moved in front, obstructing his view.

"So, there's nothing like the bond between a _real _Fighter and Sacrifice after all," another muttered.

"Um…please, wait a moment." Another voice. Not one of the adult's. It was distinctly female and probably very young.

"Honestly, what was that Nagisa-sensei thinking? You can't just create a Fighter for a Sacrifice that already has a name and its own Fighter somewhere else."

"They don't have a high sync rate."

"Look," one of the adults rolled up the girl's sleeve, stepping aside to reveal a pale arm that shone in the lamplight. "The name is gone."

"Please, wait!"

"What will we do with her?"

"Wait!"

He saw her now, the owner of that protective voice. Her face was obscured by shadows. She stood in front of the other girl, raising her arms up to bar them from reaching her. One of the adults stepped in front of her, his arm reaching out to pat her head.

"Now, now, she's no use anymore," he said kindly, a father trying to convince his daughter that it was time to throw out that old, dirty teddy and buy a new one. It was hard to believe that someone with such a voice could say such things. "Whether it's a Fighter or a Sacrifice, without a name, it's like a doll without a face – utterly useless."

XX

Time was ticking by slowly. The hands of the clock counted down the minutes that passed, the faint shadow of the stone sundial slowly shifted across its face. All the greenery was making him restless; the peaceful atmosphere only fuelled his impatience. He continued to wait alone in the deserted courtyard, his gaze flitting from the tall stone buildings surrounding him to the raised flowerbeds surrounded by brick.

Another five minutes passed. His ears began twitching. It always happened whenever he grew agitated. Tail swaying restlessly from one side to the other, he continued to drum him fingers across his arm. Why did those birds have to sing so loudly?

Finally, he could hear footsteps rushing towards him, the sound of panting growing louder. Another boy was racing across the courtyard, leaping over the flowerbeds that obstructed his bee-line path towards the centre. His blond hair was messy and tangled, as though he had just leapt out of bed, but his eyes looked lively and full of energy.

He waved as he reached his goal, crying cheerfully, "Good morning, Kuro-tan!" between loud gasps for breath. "I hope that you're up for a little practice!"

The black ears atop his head twitched again. "Don't say 'good morning' so casually," he grumbled, waving a hand at the clock tower with a look of impatience. "Look, I've been waiting for you for half an hour!" He moved out of the shadow of the tree. The light hit his face, causing him to wince and raise a hand above his head.

Fai's ears pricked in alarm. "Ah, that's not good!" Grabbing Kurogane's hand, he cried; "Come on, Kuro-chan, let's run for it!" and dragged him away from the courtyard.

XX

There was hardly time to stop. A moment later they barged into what looked like a large hall, though perhaps it was a gym, although no equipment was present.

Kurogane took a moment to catch his breath. He brushed off the leaves that had caught to his shirt during their sprint, hardly noticing the two other figures standing across the length of the hall.

"Sorry we're late!" Fai perked up, his voice echoing off of the mahogany walls.

Their opponents smiled understandingly. Both were still in possession of their ears and tails just as they were, but these children were considerably younger than them. He estimated them to be approaching their early teens whilst he was just coming out of that stage.

"It's this guy's fault for not meeting me on time," Kurogane jabbed a thumb in Fai's direction.

"Let bygones be bygones, Kuro-pii!" Fai laughed, instigating an urge for him to grab that energetic yellow tail and yank it for all he was worth.

"So, what's your name?" ignoring his own Fighter, Kurogane directed the question at young girl who was no doubt the Sacrifice of the pair.

"Sakura," she smiled, "and this is Syaoran," she gestured to her Fighter, a young boy with brown hair and eyes who nodded politely as he was called. Although he appeared meek, there was something about him, maybe it was in his eyes or in the way that he held himself, that told of great strength and determination.

"He meant your real name, silly," Fai smiled.

"Real name?" the girl looked confused. "Oh! D - Dauntless," she stuttered, blushing with embarrassment as it dawned on her.

Kurogane caught the slight frown that fluttered over Fai's face, it lived for no more than a second before it vanished beneath a practiced smile. "…That's a nice name," he muttered, hardly loud enough for the two children to hear.

"Let's cut to the chase."

"Kuro-pon always gets like this near a battle," Fai playfully nudged him with an elbow. He shot back a discontent glare and snapped, "Don't call me that!"

Backing away, yet still laughing, he turned to Sakura and Syaoran. "I hope you don't mind if we don't hold back," he smiled disarmingly.

"That's fine," Syaoran stepped in front of his Sacrifice. Though it was a friendly battle, there was a look of determination in his eyes that said that he would not yield to defeat so easily. He held a hand out and yelled, "We declare a spell battle!"

"We accept!"

Light burst forth between the two parties and the hall was enveloped by a dark dreamscape. The polished floors and long, white-panelled windows were swallowed up; wooden walls disappeared and were replaced by a black world, illuminated by the twinkle of distant, ghostly lights.

Fai threw an arm out, as if dispelling the thin webs of a spell designed to trap them. He stood in front of Kurogane, slightly crouched as a though their battle was with fists instead of words, but it was words that he ultimately used as he prepared to initiate the first attack.

"Behind a veil of darkness, you will be forsaken and broken!"

The lights around them blinked out on after another in rapid succession, no smoke arose from their dying flames; they simply vanished from the air.

Bracing himself against the cold that crept in with the growing darkness, Syaoran took a brave step forward, never far from Sakura's side but positioned just before her in case of attack. "In the darkness, we are dauntless. The fire of our resolve burns brightly."

His words brought forth a thousand flames that restored the light to the bleak world. Tongues of fire spewed forward, rising, ready to consume their opponents but were quickly extinguished with a simple spell.

Kurogane watched the two children carefully. He did not doubt that Fai would be able to handle the pair, but even so he would rather have his Fighter finish things quickly than to give them an opening. He did not enjoy playing around as much as Fai did. "Finish it quickly," he ordered.

"Aye, aye, Kuro-chi!" Fai saluted, obviously enjoying their battle, but he did as he was told and stepped up for the next attack. "Water, a rushing tsunami, extinguish their foolish resolve."

A wave of water flooded the world, knocking the children off of their feet. It stung. The water felt hard. For a moment Sakura had the distinct impression of being swept away. She could not see anything, her eyes were stinging. She gasped for breath and felt water flood in through her mouth, hitting the floor hard.

The water slowly ebbed away until it totally disappeared. Coughing up what she had swallowed, untroubled by her own pain, she desperately called for her Fighter.

Kurogane frowned. "Hey, I thought I told you to finish this quickly."

"It's not that easy, Kuro-chan. They're quite skilled for kids."

"Are you okay?" Sakura kept close to Syaoran's side, her expression painted with worry. "I'm afraid I don't understand. Why are they so -"

"Droplets of life that soak the world, freeze to ice!"

Quicker than they could react, the water still clinging to their skin immediately turned into sharp shards of ice that pierced into skin. Sakura reeled back, screaming.

Panicking, Syaoran conjured up a hurried fire spell that melted the needle-like shards, leaving them both panting and breathless.

Yet Fai was relentless. His Sacrifice had told him to finish things quickly and therefore he was not about to waste any more time in battle.

"Explode!"

"Defend!"

Whilst the Fighters continued to release spell after spell, Kurogane observed the opposing Fighter. He was young and skilled, but the boy was clearly reaching his limit. "Hey, kid, it's important to always stay focussed," he yelled.

"Giving them advice? How generous!" Fai beamed.

Sakura crept close, clutching at the sleeve of her Fighter's shirt. "Syaoran-kun, there's something strange about those two."

"Strange?"

"Pay close attention to them," she whispered.

"Alright, I get the message," Fai sighed. His smile wavered a little and his expression softened.

Stepping back in line with his Sacrifice, he reached out for Kurogane's hand, their fingers intertwined by their sides, Kurogane slowly closed his eyes and Fai followed suit.

A sudden current of air erupted around them, catching at their clothes, their hair, their tails, wrapping them in ribbons of white wind. As strength from the Sacrifice flowed into the Fighter, Fai kept his eyes tightly closed and began to chant slowly and steadily, like an actor whose rehearsed lines had been practiced to perfection, but there was something wrong. his words sounded too practiced, they were wooden and hollow.

"We are Faceless. Like a broken doll, though we have a thousand faces, none are our own."

The wind swallowed them whole, swirling around and around until they could no longer be seen.

"None can know us, none can touch us."

The air erupted into fierce gales and the wind seemed to combust. As it died, it left nothing in its wake. The two had disappeared with the wind.

"Light, illuminate the illusion!" Sayoran cried. His words turned the black world white yet still there was no trace of their opponents. Gritting his teeth together, he searched the empty space. Up, down, east, west…despite his spell they were nowhere to be found.

He kept protectively close to Sakura as he scanned the surroundings, straining his ears for the sound of footsteps, searching for a trace of a human figure. They had to be somewhere. They could not leave, no, he _knew_ that they would not leave the battle.

"Syaoran-kun, above!" Sakura screamed.

His neck snapped upwards just in time to catch a flash of white. Lightning fell from the sky faster than he could move; his one thought was not protect his Sacrifice as he heard Fai's voice shout a final spell.

"Break!"

XX

The world was spinning. His head was throbbing so badly that he thought it would split open and his body was aching all over.

As his vision came back to him and the pains in his head somewhat subsided, he found himself sitting on the hard floor next to Sakura, who was doing her best to keep her groans and aching pains to herself.

"Are you two okay?" Fai offered them a hand. "Was that a little too much? Sometimes, I just get carried away," he laughed.

Syaoran shook his head, smiling. "We're fine," he accepted his hand. Fai pulled him up and gallantly offered the girl a hand with a sweeping bow and an inappropriate grin.

"You have potential. You should keep training," Kurogane trailed behind his Fighter, arms crossed over his chest as though they had been fixed there.

"Of course! With a name like Dauntless, people will be expecting big things from you!" Fai gushed. "I like that name." His smile was perfect.

Kurogane frowned and grabbed Fai's wrist. "It's over. Let's go," he said, pulling him away. Fai grinned and waved goodbye.

Sakura and Syaoran watched them leave, they could still hear them bickering all the way to the exit. Their voice carried through the metal door even as they passed it.

"Since I won, you have to treat me!"

"Why do I have to treat you?"

"Well, it's only because I'm such a great Fighter that you don't have a scratch on you…"

Eventually they faded away, leaving the defeated pair alone in the untouched hall.

After a moment, Syaoran finally felt it safe to let a sigh escape his lips. "I'm sorry. I promise, I'll become stronger," he murmured, slightly disinheartened.

Sakura shook her head. "It's okay, but…" she turned her concerned eyes to the exit. "Those two..."

He placed a hand over hers, squeezing it gently. He offered her a reassuring smile and turned as well to look at the door. "I know, I noticed it too." He wondered if those two would really be alright.

XX

Fai sat at the edge of the fountain, enjoying the open sky and fresh air in the courtyard as he swung his legs up and down. Kurogane sat besides him, staring at the sky, knees drawn up as he balanced on the stone edge.

"That was fun," Fai sighed, stretching out all his aching muscles and limbs. "Though I'm jealous of people with cool names, since ours is sort of lame."

"Well, I'm sorry it doesn't meet your approval," Kurogane grumbled, throwing a stone into the fountain. He was feeling particularly irritable today.

He hated it when Fai used that particular illusion spell, not that he was averse to using illusions but the wording just was not to his liking. He supposed the wording was what made it such a powerful spell and was what made him hate it so much. Maybe he should have told him not to use it.

He was so lost in his thoughts that he did not notice the energetic hand being vigorously waved in front of his face. As soon as he snapped out of his trance, he found himself face to face with Fai's cheerful grin.

"Now, about my reward…how about I take your ears!" he piped, reaching out, to pinch the black tips of Kurogane's ears.

"Don't touch them!" Kurogane sharply leaned back and almost fell into the fountain. A faint blush coloured his cheeks. His ears were especially sensitive to others.

"My, aren't you two having fun?" a woman's voice suddenly intruded upon their antics.

Both turned around in unison to the sound of a familiar voice, an unforgettable voice. They stopped as if frozen, their voice falling silent for a moment whilst they overcame their initial surprise.

"What do you want, old ha -"

Fai jumped him, slapping a hand over Kurogane's mouth. "Nagisa-sensei, you look well," he smiled. However, his pleasantries were ignored by the woman, who was focussing her energy in a match of glares between herself and Kurogane.

The woman in black stood before them proudly. She flicked a lock of blue hair from her face, eyes narrowing dangerously. "So I'm old, am I?" she said tersely, never taking her eyes off of the Sacrifice. A wicked grin seeped across her face, though perhaps it was more like a grimace.

"Of course not, Sensei! You're just _experienced_," Fai tried his best to pacify their teacher.

"Well, in that case, let me tell you what my _experience _has taught me," she poked a finger squarely between Kurogane's eyes, much to his annoyance as he tried to bat her off. She frowned at his disobedience and intensified her poking. "Let me tell you this!" she announced. "Good things come in _matching _pairs. That's why I'm working on ironing the bugs out of the Zero series right now."

"Those kids, huh?" Fai murmured, though no one heard him.

"It's _much _easier this way, wouldn't you agree?" This time, she addressed the question to Fai.

When she was not angry or glaring at Kurogane, she seemed to totally forget his existence. She made it no secret who she preferred between the two, not that Kurogane cared the slightest since, between Fai and Nagisa-sensei, he would grudgingly admit that he preferred Fai as well. He just wished that she would one day leave them both alone instead of showering Fai with that detestable look of pity she always had ready for him, especially since he could guess just why she pitied him.

The only answer Fai could think of was to laugh her off and mutter some non-committal response. Luckily, this appeased her enough. She smiled at Fai, ignored Kurogane, and went on her way with a wave that was meant only for the Fighter.

"I hate her!" Kurogane muttered darkly, glowering at her back.

XX

"Chii-chan is doing well," Nagisa had told him once. How long ago had that been? He wondered if Chii was still doing as well as she had once claimed.

"I'm glad," Fai had said. The news was welcome but there had been something else, something nagging at his mind that he was afraid to ask.

His small hands fiddled in his lap, restless. He always hated making Nagisa-sensei angry. She was so big and tall compared to him and she did not have any ears. He always had the impression that she could be quite vicious, though he had never witnessed her being so before.

Drawing the courage to ask, he had turned to his teacher. "Nagisa-sensei, what happened to Freya-chan?"

Nagisa just wagged a finger back and forth through the air. "Now, now Fai-kun, don't concern yourself with that! She was just a prototype."

A faceless doll someone had once called her.

"I would like to give it one more go though," she had said, more to herself than to him. He thought that she was going to lose herself in thought but she turned to him, gazing right at him expectantly. "Well?" she smiled.

"A faceless doll," Fai echoed, staring at his reflection in the mirror. He wondered why he was always so troubled. Was it those memories which would not let him be? Or was it because of his Sacrifice? Maybe he was simply over thinking things. Maybe he was not thinking hard enough.

Slowly, he unbuttoned his shirt with a hand, fingers working deftly to loosen each button. The white cloth slid away, revealing his name carved upon his chest: Faceless. What a detestable name.

"You're becoming extremely vain."

"Kuro-pon!" Fai almost jumped. Spinning around quickly, he turned to face him as he quickly rebut toned his shirt. "What do you mean by that?" he asked, flustered.

Kurogane was leaning against the doorpost to Fai's room. With a smirk, he shut the door behind him with his tail and walked in, throwing himself into the seat of a wooden chair "You check yourself in the mirror every day, just staring at yourself. Don't think that I didn't know. Narcissus!"

Fai laughed. His hands slowed as the buttons neared his chest. With slight hesitation, he finally finished buttoning his shirt, covering up the name as though it were not fit for the world to see.

"I think I'm more like Echo," he said softly, looking down at his hands that still held on to the collar of his shirt.

Frowning, Kurogane got to his feet. Taking hold of one of Fai's hands, with the other he pulled at the strings lacing the top of his shirt, tugging until the name on his chest could be seen.

"Look. Mine's still here," he said sternly, placing Fai's hand on top of it as proof.

"But -"

He sighed and flicked the tip of Fai's ear as punishment for his foolishness. "Listen, since you're a moron you shouldn't try to think too much. I'm your Sacrifice."

Without meeting his gaze, Fai nodded, though he did not appear too convinced. Kurogane sighed again, pushing Fai's hand from him.

"I'm going to get some rest,' he said, making his way to the door.

Fai nodded wordlessly; his eyes fixed upon his back as he watched him leave. The door slid open and Kurogane stepped out, softly closing it behind him. Fai watched until the door completely blocked his view. By the time he felt as if he should have said something, it was already too late. He was left alone in his small room, gazing at the spot where Kurogane had been.

"Don't disappear."

* * *

Wait! I know what you're thinking. 'Why is Fai the Fighter?' 'What's with their stupid name?' and 'Where is Ritsuka and Soubi?' right? Well, when I started writing it just flowed better with Fai as the Fighter and I think the name somewhat fits both of them, though perhaps more Fai than Kurogane. Oh, and Soubi will definitely appear in the next chapter. So...good? No good? 


	2. Faceless

Whoa, long chapter this time. I probably shouldn't waste it saying anything, ecxept Soubi was hard because I have only a vague idea what he was like under Seimei.

* * *

**02. Faceless**

XX

Was it morning already? Sunbeams fell through the windows, bright yellow noise disturbing his peaceful sleep. Or perhaps it was the hand on his shoulder that was preventing him from enjoying the warmth of his blankets.

"Fai!" he felt someone vigorously shaking him. "Fai, wake up!"

With a groan, he peeked over the thick covers at the blurred face staring down at him. With a fist, he rubbed the last traces of sleep from his eyes, yawning as he rose from the bed.

The strangely shaped blue blur shifted into focus. "Oh, Nagisa-sensei, good morning," he mumbled sleepily.

"You have a battle today," she winked. "I want you to go out and crush you opponents! Don't be merciful, turn them into dust! I'm counting on you to make him cry!"

"By 'him' do you mean Ritsu-sensei?" he yawned, too tired to be moved by his teacher's enthusiasm.

"When his most beloved Fighter is defeated, I wonder what his face will look like," Nagisa grinned, fired up on the image of her victory. "If he smiles gallantly and says 'Well done!' I won't forgive him!"

Smiling faintly, he swung his legs out of bed. "Okay, okay, I'll head down now," he said, gathering his things for the day. His eyes passed over his reflection in the mirror opposite. He paused for a moment before moving on. It was still there. The name was still there, he was sure of it.

"Oh, but are you sure you can manage it with that Sacrifice?" she asked.

Fai's fingers fluttered over his chest. "Of course," he replied, turning his back to her.

Nagisa spread herself along Fai's bed, smiling as though she could read his mind. "You know, since he's just a substitute doll, I could always make you a better one," she murmured in a low, suggestive voice.

"…No, there's no need," he laughed unconvincingly, still refusing to face her. "You're working hard on the Zero series so I wouldn't want to trouble you with this."

A moment of silence stretched over the room, he realised that she was not going anywhere. He hurriedly changed in front of her, hardly glancing back as he said; "I'll be going now," and quickly left.

XX

The clock was ticking by the minutes and with each minute that passed, he felt his impatience grow until his ears began to twitch again. Kurogane leaned against the trunk of the tree, his arms folded across his chest. He was experiencing a vague sense of déjà vu.

Sure enough, like every other time that had passed, Fai came running towards him as though he had just tumbled out of bed. "Sorry I'm late!" he apologised.

He did not answer. For some reason, he was more annoyed than usual.

"Kuro-chan?" Fai peeked at his face.

"You know who we're up against, right?" he waved him away, hurrying on to the gym hall.

"Of course! They say those two are unbeatable!" Fai piped cheerfully, following after him. The thought of confronting the stars of the school, the supposedly most powerful pair, did not seem to faze him at all. Maybe it just had not sunk into his thick skull yet.

"We'll see about that," he muttered.

"Oh, you're all pumped up I see!"

Kurogane shrugged and grabbed hold of the handles leading into the gym. The moment his hands touched the metal bars, he instantly recoiled as though struck by an electric shock, forcing a small shout from his throat.

"Kuro-chan!"

"Heh, they don't mess around, I'll give them that," he smirked despite the fact that the wind had been knocked out of him. His blood was rushing, his tail began to move restlessly; this would be a challenge at least.

"Beloved," Fai muttered, hands curling to fists. Beyond the door they were waiting for them. "Why is it that everyone but us…everyone except for us…"

"Hey. We're about to enter a spell battle."

Kurogane pushed the doors open, throwing light upon the darkly polished floor. As expected, two figures stood lying in wait for them across the long hall, illuminated by the light from the slanted windows.

In an instant, Fai's cheerful face was up again. "Good morning! Sorry we're late," he chirped as they entered.

Instead of the understanding smiles they had received from Dauntless, the two now standing opposite them simply stared back blankly.

Though they had heard about the Beloved pair before, it was the first time meeting them face to face. They did not look all that impressive. Both were older than they were, but not quite adults yet, they both still had their ears and tails. Yet, on closer inspection, there was something vaguely unsettling about them; they were distant and untouchable figures. Even though both the Fighter and Sacrifice stood together they looked so far apart from each other, as though there was wall between them.

"It's this guy's fault," Kurogane jabbed his thumb in Fai's direction. This was becoming something of a daily ritual.

"All water under a bridge!" Fai waved it away.

"Faceless," Beloved's smooth voice washed over them, chiding them gently, "punctuality is a virtue," he smiled bleakly. It suddenly seemed colder inside the empty hall. It was…creepy.

"What's with this guy?" Kurogane muttered under his breath. That insincere politeness was as disturbing as his smile.

"Maybe he's not a morning person," Fai whispered.

Though he undoubtedly heard their comments, Seimei just smiled. For some reason, Kurogane found that smile was more annoying than Fai's. He wanted to wipe it off that stupid face.

Beloved's Fighter stretched his hand out. "We declare a spell battle!" he announced as though they were about to go to war.

"We accept!"

Darkness spread throughout the hall, consuming the walls until the world became barely recognisable. They were still in what vaguely looked like the gym hall but everything was red as though covered in blood.

Fai stepped forward, ready to begin. "So, how was breakfast? Didn't burn yourself on the hot food, did you?" he asked cheerfully.

"A spell battle is no place for a conversation," Kurogane muttered but Soubi simply smiled.

"That's smart; trying to plant a suggestion, but it won't work. Chains, restrain them!"

"I refuse!" Fai flung out a hand, a rising wind knocking the flying chains away from them. Though it was a simple spell, the sudden fierceness of it startled him enough to leave him breathless.

"Well, I guess the reputation not completely undeserved," Kurogane grudgingly admitted. Fai was sure he too was sensing the same crushing pressure coming from their opponents, a stifling blanket that threatened to suffocate them.

Beloved was smiling.

"It would be better for us to attack at full force straight away. Finish them off!" Kurogane yelled.

Fai instantly reacted to the order. "We are faceless dolls, we feel no pain!" he yelled, as though raising his voice could raise the strength of his spell.

As soon as it took effect, another was cast to counter it. Soubi's words were minimalist, curt even, yet they produced such a shocking effect, like being caught in the blast of a tornado. His eyes were sharp, intently focused on fulfilling the orders of his Sacrifice as he shouted, "Needles pierce the four limbs!"

Sharp needles rained down from the sky, flashes of silver rain that pierced right through the skin.

Fai heard Kurogane cry out. He snapped his head back in a panic, almost frantic as he found his Sacrifice clutching a bleeding arm. Kurogane swayed a little, struggling to stay on his feet until he was eventually forced to fall to his knees. There was blood everywhere, though the cuts were neither particularly deep nor long, the needles that stuck scattered across his body all dribbled with a tiny stream of blood.

"Kuro-rin!" he immediately rushed back to his side, crouching besides him to carefully pick out the needles.

A humourless chuckle caused them to both look up at the Sacrifice staring down at them. "No pain? That expression you're showing says otherwise."

"This is nothing! Just concentrate!" Kurogane pushed Fai away whilst he struggled to his feet. With a hand, he swept away the needles, refusing to wince even as his callous movements brought forth more blood.

Fai watched them fall to the floor with a tinkle, their sharp points gleaming red. He felt that he should probably say something, but he doubted that Kurogane would appreciate it at this point. He was right; he had to concentrate. He had to be calm. Beloved was looking at them as though he thought they would be no trouble to defeat. He wanted to laugh. If there was one thing he could do, it was cause trouble.

"Our faces our unknowable, our attacks are unknowable. Lose yourself to the darkness of obscurity."

"Fire, pierce the darkness!"

In an instant, the clouds that had drawn a veil over the lights were dispelled by a blast of roaring flame. Undeterred, Fai bit back with a stronger spell. "Light, brilliant and burning, like an unending cremation!"

Soubi raised a calm hand. "Darkness, cast a veil over the light."

He had to step back. He did not do it voluntarily; it was some strange force that forced his foot back. This was different from the dozens of battles they had participated in before; it felt more like hitting a wall than exchanging blows. What if he could not beat them? His Sacrifice would pay for his lack of power. What if he could not defend? What if the attacks proved to be overwhelming?

"Hey! What's with you? All you do is counter attack!" Kurogane angrily yelled across the space between the two Fighters. His sudden outburst managed to snap his Fighter out of his momentary trance.

Beloved smiled lazily. It would have made no difference to his expression or his demeanour had he been politely asked what time it was. "You have a talented Fighter. His words are interesting so I thought I would listen to them a little longer."

"Don't screw with us!" Kurogane growled.

"Faceless, it's important to remain level-headed," he shook his head disapprovingly, "if you cannot control yourself, what hope do you have of controlling your Fighter?"

"Don't say 'control' so casually!" Kurogane bit back, turning his glare from the Sacrifice to the Fighter. His eyes rested on Soubi, staring unflinchingly eye for eye. "A _dog _can be controlled if you put a leash on it! _We're_ not dogs!"

Perhaps something in his speech irritated the opposing Sacrifice, for a brief frown fluttered across his face. When he spoke again, it was much more cold and curt than usual.

"Finish them."

"Yes, master."

Soubi turned to them, suddenly serious, eyes hardening. A smile fluttered over his lips. "Insignificant dolls who cannot know their own faces, you will fade from this world," he began the final spell.

"No," Fai stepped away. His words were not a spell but a simple refutation. Mere words like that should not be able to cut so deep.

"Don't let them get to you!" Kurogane grabbed his arm.

"…Fading like a transient smile…"

_Don't be fooled_

"…Your porcelain limbs break, shatter, and become dust in the wind."

_Don't stop_

Taking a quick step backwards, Fai felt the darkness grow around them as he began to cast another spell. His voice quivering a little under the pressure to perform such an advanced spell so quickly, his hands curled into fists and his eyes squeezed themselves shut.

"We are Faceless. With a likeness to no one and a likeness to everyone, all shall become identical to us."

Slowly, softly, like a candle being gently snuffed out of existence, like the resulting smoke that quietly curled into the air, the lights dimmed and vanished and they too seemed to waver and disappear, swallowed by the darkness.

Soubi straightened, abruptly ending his spell. He turned back just to glance at his Sacrifice only to be confronted with yet more darkness. Seimei was gone.

Through the waves of black, flickers of a figure passed him here and there. He could hear footsteps but they were indistinguishable from one another. Who was his enemy? Who was the one he was supposed to protect?

Hidden by this darkness, both Kurogane and Fai watched on as Soubi continued to do nothing. It was not often that they had to resort to such a spell but those that they had used it on had never come out unscathed. Their technique baffled even the best Fighter.

"We've got them!" Kurogane hissed triumphantly.

Sooner or later, he would probably get frustrated and attack one of the figures moving through the darkness. If he was lucky, he would hit nothing but an empty illusion, if not he would land a clean blow on his own Sacrifice.

"There's nothing more devastating than a hit from your own Fighter," Fai felt a little more encouraged. Beloved were a formidable team but maybe, just maybe, they could win this one.

_Don't give up_

Soubi smiled.

Despite being unable to tell his own Sacrifice from the others, he was smiling serenely. It was an impressive spell, he would admit that much, but he would not give in to the illusion. Somewhere in all the obscurity of the spell, he could feel the eyes of his master watching him, demanding from him nothing but perfection. He would not be fooled by a trick like this.

With a sigh, he calmly gathered himself together, ready to disperse the spell. He opened his mouth, speaking calmly and slowly as he worked.

"In a faceless crowd, the face of the one most beloved is clear to me."

In a flash, the darkness disappeared and the figures that were missing all reappeared in their places.

"What the hell is he?" Kurogane cursed, half bewildered, half angry.

"Faceless."

He was staring at them unflinchingly, his eyes gazing directly at them as if he could pierce through their souls. His presence was overwhelming; it felt as if they were drowning.

_Don't disappear_

They knew. Even without looking at each other, they knew.

"Like a faceless apparition, those without the courage to hold on to this world will no doubt fade away."

This would be the end for them.

_Don't disappear_

XX

For some reason, opening his eyes was a more difficult task than usual.

That was strange. It was never this hard to wake up. Why did his body feel so heavy? Something was definitely amiss. Oh, that was right, there had been a battle.

"Are you okay?"

His eyes snapped towards the source of that familiar voice. Fai sat on a wooden chair by his bedside. Kurogane scowled.

"Peachy," he groaned. Despite his claims, his head was throbbing and all the muscles in his body were aching.

Kurogane pulled himself up, ignoring a spasm of pain that exploded in his side, until he was able to peer around the room. He could not see anything of interest. From the whiteness around him - the white curtains and bed sheets, the white ceiling and floorboards - he was probably in the medical bay.

Fai turned away to stare out of the window, not that the scenery was particularly interesting but he did not want to look at his Sacrifice at the moment. His ears flattened against his head. "Sorry," he said softly, his words hardly audible if not for the utter silence around them.

"It's not your fault," he too looked away. That idiot did not know that blaming himself for not being a strong enough Fighter only made him feel like the guilty party. "I guess a substitute doll is no match for the real thing." He did not mean to say those words out loud, yet somehow they slipped from his lips into the air.

Fai looked at him sharply. "Where did you hear that?"

He sighed, wishing he had never said anything. "I was there. Near your room. I went to wake you up," he told him, only half expecting the silence that followed. He sighed again, running a hand through his hair. It was all too much trouble than it was worth. "Forget it. We'll do better next time."

"And if we don't?"

"Well, that old hag can always get you a better replacement."

"I don't _want _a replacement."

How he hated these silences, these long, uncomfortable silences when things seemed worse than they really were. However, he need not have worried about how long it would last for a moment later Fai smacked his hands against his knees and stood, cheerful once again.

"Well, get some rest. I'll be back. I'll bring you a present too!" he beamed, moving away in a hurried manner.

"If it's your ears, I don't want them!" Kurogane yelled after Fai's retreating back. He waved a hand above his head as he fled as if to say 'yeah, whatever' and skidded around the corner, disappearing from sight.

Letting him leave only made Kurogane frown. maybe he should not have allowed him to run away. "A replacement, huh?" he muttered to himself. He stared at his hands sourly, as though they were to blame for their defeat.

Maybe it was true. Maybe Fai would be better off with a different Sacrifice. He was sure he was probably full of bugs and stuff. That old witch Nagisa-sensei probably did not have a clue what she was doing when she tried her little experiment.

It took a moment for him to realise that he was being carefully observed by someone. His gaze flickered to the doorway, to the tall figure lurking by its entrance. That Fighter - what was his name? Soubi? - leaned against the frame, ears partly lowered as though he had his reservation about entering. His eyes were firmly fixed on him, staring back unflinchingly.

Something in those eyes annoyed Kurogane more than he should have been. Maybe because they reminded him so much of someone else, because he would have hated it if that person looked at him the way Soubi was now looking at him.

"Hey, stop it. Don't look at me like that!," he growled.

"Like what?" Soubi asked, undisturbed by the harshness of his reception.

"As if you wouldn't mind swapping places with me. I don't want your pity," he snapped. He was in a bad enough mood as it was.

His expression never changed, it was constantly blank and subdued. "I wasn't pitying you. Just the opposite, actually," he replied calmly but before Kurogane could ask him what he meant by that he spoke again. "Did you know? Beloved means dearly loved. Someone who is beloved is someone who is loved the most but..."

"You're not another one, are you?" Kurogane cut through him curtly.

"Another one?" he repeated, though his expression was impassive, faint curiosity shifted him forward so slightly it was hardly noticeable.

"Who obsesses over their name," he grunted. "The guy that I'm stuck with, he always worries about it, but even though he hates our name, he's scared that it might disappear. I don't get it. It's just a name."

"That name brought the two of you together."

"It's stupid to be ruled over by a name."

"It is important to be ruled over by something."

"Like your Sacrifice?" he snapped. "A Fighter isn't some slave to be used whenever it's convenient. A Sacrifice isn't…" He paused. What was a Sacrifice? What was he supposed to be? "A Sacrifice…isn't a convenient source of power. That jerk you call your Sacrifice, I hate people like that."

For the first time, a flicker of anger passed over the Fighter's face but it lasted for less than a second and soon Soubi's face was as blank as ever.

Kurogane hardly noticed it. He was too busy thinking about why idiots were always idiots and what was so important about names. All they were was something other people called you by.

But that name brought them together

_Don't disappear_

"In that case, you must be one of _them._"

"One of them?" he regarded the Fighter sceptically.

Soubi smiled, but, like his Sacrifice, it was cold and distant. "Someone who is loved the most."

XX

He had no idea what he was doing; he had just wanted to leave. If he had been stronger, they would not have lost. If he had spent more time learning spells, they might have fared better. Now Nagisa-sensei would be angry. Maybe she would say 'I told you so' and start preparation for a new Sacrifice.

No, that was absurd. She would be too busy with the Zero series and if he protested enough she would forget about it. Even so, the thought did not make him feel better. Maybe there was nothing like a real Fighter and Sacrifice after all, maybe that adult had been right all those years ago. They were nothing but faceless dolls.

Lying down on the grass, he sighed and closed his eyes. He did not want to think about anything anymore. If the world would just forget about him, he would be happy.

The sound of birds singing was too loud. It was always far too quiet at school, everyone moved silently, passing in and out of the world like ghosts. The air felt colder to him now. He opened his eyes to discover that a shadow was leaning over him.

"May I?" it asked.

Fai looked up to see the young girl from the day before leaning over him. "Oh, Dauntless," he smiled faintly. "Or can I call you Sakura-chan?"

"Sakura is fine with me," she sat besides him, smiling cheerfully. Her Fighter seemed to have disappeared, which was strange as he had gained the impression that they would be together more often than not, but he dismissed the thought as trivial.

Sakura's ears dropped a little, an indication of the topic she wished to speak about. "I heard that you lost a battle. Is your Sacrifice alright?" she asked, concerned.

"Kuro-chii? He's resting but he'll be fine," he assured her, laughing to banish his own doubts as much as hers.

"Kuro-chii?" she tilted her head questioningly.

"Well, Kurogane, but you should call him Kuro-chii too," he grinned when she blushed at the very thought of using such a name. "Oh, you can call me Fai. I should have introduced myself when we fought before. When Kuro-chan gets better how would you like a rematch?"

"I wouldn't mind, as long as Syaoran-kun agrees to it as well," she nodded.

"Ah, but you're the Sacrifice so he should obey you," Fai commented, only half joking.

Sakura shook her head. "But I think it's better this way. Anyway, Fai-san, you don't always obey Kurogane-san either, do you? Even though he's your Sacrifice," she laughed lightly.

"He's not," he said, more abrupt than he had intended. He sighed and pressed his ears against his head. "Sometimes it's hard to find the one who shares the same name with you. Nagisa-sensei doesn't do it anymore but she used to make substitute dolls for those who hadn't found their Fighter of Sacrifice yet. It's the same for me. She made me a Sacrifice. So you see, Kuro-rin isn't really my Sacrifice. I'm sure that he'll…he'll probably disappear someday," he smiled. Forced as it was, he smiled bravely. As long as he kept smiling, he could convince himself the whole matter was laughable and, in that way, not worth getting upset over.

It was _all_ so laughable.

"So that was why your synch rate wasn't high," Sakura drew her legs to her chest.

"Yeah, since he's just a substitute. I know it's hard for him to accept being a temporary convenience, though he doesn't like to show how much it bothers him," he nodded. "Ah, but I shouldn't go on about it." He did not want to go on about it.

"I don't think that's it," she shook her head, lost in thought. "It's not your name or your destiny that creates a relationship but your feelings. A Fighter-Sacrifice bond is no different; it's there because of the feelings between the Fighter and the Sacrifice," she mumured softly.

The wind softly stirred the trees, gently singing in the silence.

Suddenly, Sakura turned to face him, staring straight into his eyes. "Fai-san," she announced with the serious determination of someone about to declare war, "your Sacrifice is _definitely_ Kurogane-san!"

"But even our name doesn't really mean anything. Something that is faceless has no personal distinction or identity. It's not really anything."

"That's why it's such a lovely name!" she insisted. "Something that is faceless has no expression, so you can make up your own, isn't that great? I hope that the first thing that you paint is a smile."

She smiled. It was a little like sunshine in spring; a warm, bright smile that was not overbearing. He wished he could smile like that.

"Sakura-chan," he breathed.

"Yes?"

"It's nothing," he shook his head, laughing. "I think I know what kind of get-well gift I should buy Kuro-sama."

XX

Kurogane opened his eyes again to find Fai sitting over him, watching him with a strange, pensive expression. He could not remember falling asleep but he did not bother getting up again. He was too tired to bother.

"What are you doing?" he asked in a weary kind of mumble and "Thinking," was the laconic reply he received in return.

"Well, that's a first," he muttered, closing his eyes again. He could feel the cool tips of Fai's fingers lightly trace the name etched in his skin, up the spine of the F, curling around the C.

"I was thinking that I don't really dislike this name, when it's on you that is," he heard him say softly. "I like this name when it's in you, so don't lose it."

"How can I lose a name?" he grunted, cracking an eye open to study his expression.

"I mean it! You better take good care of it!"

"I'm sure your real name would be much more to your liking. When you find your real Sacrifice, that is," he sighed, propping himself into a sitting position.

Unsmiling, Fai pulled down the collar of his shirt, almost ripping it, until his name could be seen against his skin. He took a hold of Kurogane's hand, pressing it against his chest as he did the same with his own hand against Kurogane's.

"This is the only name I want on me," he said; a statement of fact, a declaration of determination.

_Don't disappear_

"You don't care if there's another Sacrifice for you?" Kurogane asked, watching him carefully.

"No." An automatic reply.

"Even if you'd be better of with a different one?"

"No."

"Fine," Kurogane felt a smile threaten to tug at his lips. "You're stupid anyway so I wouldn't expect any less of you."

"Oh, that's right!" Fai suddenly dipped down to fish through the plastic bag he had brought with him. "Here!" he returned, proudly handing him a large plastic toy.

"What the hell is this?" he stared at the thing incredulously. It looked like a bear but it was the weirdest bear he had ever seen. It was hard and there were red lips painted all over it, some baring rows of white teeth.

"It's a DIY model! You know, the ones that you design yourself," Fai explained, grinning at his own genius.

"But it's got stuff all over it," he muttered, bewildered by the strange design. Just when he thought he knew all of his Fighter's strange tastes, something would always surprise him. Well, he decided as he picked up a red marker pen, he might as well try it out.

"I was practicing. I like this smile the best," Fai leaned over, pointing at one of the many identical lips on the model.

He set the strange bear down. "Really?" he murmured, turning to face him. His hands cupped the side of Fai's face, running a thumb over lips. "I think that this one's pretty good too."

Fai's smile blossomed into a grin. He would have been content to just sit and smile had he not laid eyes on what had happened to the bear. "Ah! You ruined it!" he jumped to his feet, scooping it up with mock horror.

"Ruined what? I'm just adding to the collection!"

"That's a smirk, not a smile! A smirk!" he pointed at Kurogane's latest addition.

"It's all the same!" he scoffed. "How can you tell anyway?"

"They're not the same! And I can tell because this looks exactly like that _thing_ pasted to your face right now!" Fai jabbed his finger at Kurogane's mouth.

"No it isn't!" he batted the hand away.. He should have asked Fai what he meant by 'that thing' but he was too flustered to do so.

"In that case, are you smiling?" Fai asked, placing a hand on his hip in triumph.

There was a pause. Kurogane studied the bear carefully. He conceeded. "…You're right; it's a smirk."

* * *

Phew, done! This was originally a twoshot but since I love Ritsuka so much, it's a threeshot. The last chapter will be set after Seimei's death as opposed to before it as I've been doing here. Ritsuka, you better be worth it. 


	3. Loveless

I hate the word four-shot. It just doesn't have a ring to it, but I began typing this and realised just what a monster of a chapter it was becoming. (Over 6000 words!) Though I would rather had finished it all off in one big go, I decided to cut it in half as I find myself doing so often nowadays. So, it's a four-shot now. --

Well, on a happier note, I'm pleased to introduce Ritsuka to this chapter. Takes place after Beloved left the Seven moons so Kurogane, Fai and Soubi of course are notably older now. Enjoy!

**

* * *

**

Loveless 

XX

Adults were liars.

As Ritsuka left the school grounds with Yayoi and Yuiko in tow, he thought that perhaps his feet were walking a little faster than usual, or maybe his voice was a little more clipped than usual. Of course they were, he had every excuse to be irritated.

Last night, Soubi had been as annoyingly ambiguous as ever. That man always said the same thing. 'I'll do anything you ask, Ritsuka.' What a joke! He always said that he would tell him whatever he wanted to know, but never what he _really_ wanted to know. Instead of saying 'I'll do anything you ask, Ritsuka,' he might as well say, 'I'll do anything you ask as long as it doesn't go against Seimei's orders.'

The thought of his brother caused him to come to a halt at the gates. Seimi and Soubi - he wondered how things had been between them. Even though Soubi spoke so highly of him, everyone else would say bad things about him, call him cold, cruel and tell all sorts of lies.

Adults were strange. They were confusing and hard to understand. They did things that hurt themselves as much as they hurt others. He did not understand adults at all, not Soubi, and now, worst of all, he was beginning to wonder if he had ever understood Seimei either.

"Ritsuka-kun? Ritsuka-kun, are you okay?" Yuiko lightly touched his shoulder, causing him to start.

"I - I'm fine," he shook his head.

"Of course you're fine!" Yayoi popped between them, jabbing him in the chest with a finger. "Yuiko-chan is taking us to that special parfait shop she was talking about! If you were anything but fine it would be an insult to Yuiko-chan!"

"N - no, it's okay," Yuiko blushed, pulling a fanatical Yayoi off of him.

"I'm fine, so let's go," he perked up. There was nothing to be gained by worrying his friends.

As they left the school, they quickly passed two men on the other side of the road arguing loudly, oblivious to everything around them. One of them was shouting so loudly that the three of them could not help but spare them a curious glace as they quickly made thei way in the opposite direction.

"C'mon, c'mon! Just a little bite!" one of the men was urging his friend.

"No means no!" the other snapped and they continued down their path in a similar fashion, bickering amongst themselves.

"Adults are strange, aren't they?" Yuiko murmured and Ritsuka could not help but nod in agreement.

XX

Kurogane sighed in frustration. It was hard to think when there was a frivolous idiot constantly badgering him to buy sweets from a nearby patisserie. It was not as if they had the money for Fai to indulge his sweet-tooth; Nagisa-sensei had been miserably stingy with funds, thus a tent and other camping equipment had been stuffed in his rucksack.

He inwardly cursed the old hag for being so miserly. Ever since the second pair of Zeros had been completed, she had since lost interest in them, not that he was complaining. Where had those masochistic brats run off to anyway? They had been missing from the school for quite some time.

"C'mon, c'mon! Just a little bite!" Fai persistently tugged at his sleeve.

Scowling, he shrugged his Fighter off with a growl. "No means no!"

He was more irritable than usual. Could he be blamed? Every time they were sent on one of these stupid missions, he would always be overwhelmed by the impression that he was living on borrowed time and the name on his chest would ache a little, as though in warning. Big crowds always irked him, evern more so because anyone within one of those faceless crowds they passed could be the one marked with Fai's true name.

Then what would happen? What would become of them both? He would probably end up in the garbage dump. Kurogane snorted at the idea. What a stupid feeling. It was annoying, always bothering him.

"Kuro-chan? Kuro-chan!" Fai tugged at him.

"What now?" he snapped.

"Look," Fai pointed at the retreating backs of three children walking away down the side of the road, "it's our target."

Kurogane's expression transformed into a look of satisfaction. For now, he could forget and focus on the mission. "Loveless," he grinned.

_Found you. _

XX

Yayoi and Yuuiko continued their discussion of pastry, manga and school subjects over hot tea and sweet cakes. The weather was mild and so they ate outside the shop, talking animatedly about their orders. For most of it, Ritsuka sat only half-listening, his own cake hardly touched. He was too distracted by thoughts of Soubi and his brother.

Things always seemed so complicated around him. He did not understand any of it. How long would it take to find his brother's killer? How much more did he have to take?

Out of boredom, he glanced around the almost empty tables, from the corner of his eye, he spotted two young men staring intently at him. Maybe there was no ill intent in their gaze but something about them sstartled him. His ears and tail perked with curiosity and a growing sense of danger. The presence coming from them felt almost exactly the same as the Zero girls. One of the men rose a hand and gestured for him to come.

"Sorry," Ritsuka stood up abruptly. "I suddenly realised that I forgot to do something. I've got to leave now."

"What?" Yayoi turned around, too confused by his sudden outburst to be offended just yet.

"It's okay," Yuuiko halted him with a hand, fighting back her own disappointment and confusion. This was not the first time he had suddenly run off without explanation. "We'll see you tomorrow at school, right Ritsuka-kun?" she asked hopefully.

He nodded. "Sorry," he apologised once more before making his quick escape.

Ritsuka slowed down as he approached the two suspicious figures. The shorter of the two gestured for him to follow and they turned their backs on him and walked away.

Keeping a safe distance away, far enough for anyone watching to be unable to make a connection between them, he kept his head down but his eyes fixed on their moving backs. His hand clutched the phone dangling around his neck. Should he call Soubi? No, that might be too obvious. He would wait and watch them for a while before making a decision.

The one who had signalled him wore a short beige jacket, long arms swinging by his side as he walked. He had not gotten a good glimpse of his face but it had been his startling blue eyes that had drawn his attention from the cake shop. The young man ran a hand through his blond hair as he spoke to his partner, too softly for Ritsuka to hear, and he turned his attention to the taller of the two.

As if in contrast, the other man wore only dark hues, almost as dark as his hair, his hands stuffed in the pockets of his trench coat, back slightly bent as if he did not want to be touched by the world. Neither had their ears anymore, though that was not quite surprising, they both appeared to be just a little younger than Soubi was. So they were adults then. He had to be wary of adults.

It was only once they entered the park that the two stopped to talk. They halted by a bench close to the flowers beds, half covered by the overhanging branches of an old willow. Lamp posts ran along the side of the gravely path, spilling pools of yellow light onto the ground.

The first man turned to him, smiling disarmingly. His eyes were a clear blue, appearing honest on the surface, yet they flashed with something calculative, something shrewd.

"Loveless, right? We've been looking for you," he said.

Ritsuka's ears pricked up upon hearing them speak of his 'true' name. They had to be from the Seven moons to have called him that. That meant that they could somehow be connected to Seimei. That meant that they might know something about his brother's death.

"Or would you prefer it if we called you Ritsuka-kun?" the man asked, oblivious to the fact that Ritsuka's hands were clenching into fists.

"What do you want?" he demanded, glaring at them both.

"Easy kid, sit down, we're not going to do anything to you," the other man grunted. He stepped forward, towering over him. Those red eyes were secretly intimidating when they stared down at him with such intensity, but Ritsuka refused to back down.

"What do you want?" he repeated, only becoming more suspicious the longer he waited for an answer.

"First of all, introductions!" The blond man clapped his hands together as though they were members at a party merely acquainting themselves with the other guests. "I know what you're wondering but, believe it or not, _I'm_ the Fighter. You can call me Fai," he proudly pointed at himself, "and this guy with the scary eyes is - "

"Kurogane," the other man stepped forward before Fai could give him another embarrassing nickname.

"Faceless."

Fai's smile froze. Without turning to the source of the sudden, intruding voice, he laughed, but the sound was slightly strained and nervous. "Or Faceless, yes, you can call us that if you _really_ have to, right Agatsuma-san?"

Ritsuka peered into the darkness, near the source of that familiar voice. The darkness shifted and someone emerged from the gathering gloom; a tall figure wrapped tightly in a long black coat that swept at his ankles.

"Soubi!" he shouted in surprise. How had he found him? Maybe he really did stalk him after all

"I was told that you might show up," Kurogane muttered at the sight of the man. It was hard to tell whether he was pleased or not but he did seem to take Soubi's sudden appearance as a sign of trouble. His partner, however, smiled brilliantly.

"Well, long time no see, Agatsuma-san! Or is that too formal? How about, Soubi…kun?"

"No, that's definitely too informal," his Sacrifice muttered under his breath.

Soubi stepped under the light of the lamp post, light shedding upon his face, gleaming off of the surface of his glasses. It was hard to tell who was taller; Soubi or that strangely gruff Sacrifice. Ritsuka thought that maybe Soubi had an inch or two over Kurogane, but that might have simply appeared so because he was thinner.

Soubi smiled as he caught Ritsuka staring at him, but the boy quickly averted his eyes. "I see you two are still together," he returned to addressing the two men. Whether he was being genuinely cordial or insincerely polite, it seemed to be of no consequence to the pair.

"Of course. There's no one else in the whole world who can tolerate this idiot more than me," Kurogane jabbed a thumb in Fai's direction.

"You make it sound like a bad thing, Kuro-pon," he Fighter returned, affable as ever.

"As I recall, the last time I saw you two, you still had your ears," Soubi let a small smile slip onto his lips.

Kurogane scowled as Fai burst into laughter. "And the last time I saw _you_, you were still running around with Beloved. So he ditched you after all," he returned with a glare.

Ritsuka only had a moment to register the slight shift in Soubi's demeanour before he was seized up in the usual urgency to discover the truth, which always caught him whenever Seimei's named appeared in conversation.

"Seimei? What do you know about my brother?" he demanded they give him answers.

"That he was a jerk," the Sacrifice retorted.

"If that's what you think then you obviously don't know him! Don't say bad things about him!" he snapped back, tail erect like a hissing cat.

An arm suddenly slung itself around his shoulders. Ritsuka almost jumped. He had not realised that Fai had moved, neither had he noticed how close he was standing until he pulled back against Fai's chest.

"He's so cute when he's angry!" the man cried in delight, playfully pinching Ritsuka's cheeks. "Listen, Soubi-kun, if you're going to take his ears, do it gently!" he said with sudden, mock severity, pointing a finger aimed squarely between Soubi's glasses.

"D - don't be stupid!" Ritsuka threw the arm off, covering his ears with his hands as if he would be robbed of them right there and then.

"Faceless," Soubi reprimanded them, though a pleased smile threatened to undermine the sternness in his voice, "if you're only here to antagonize Ritsuka, I'm going to have to ask you to leave. Or would you like me to remove you?" His smile broadened, becoming somewhat sadistic.

"Actually, we're here because of this," Fai fished beneath his coat for a small white envelope.

Ritsuka stared at the paper being waved in front of his face as though it would explode at any moment. He regarded the strange pair with suspicion, unsure of whether he should reach out and grab it.

"Come on now, Ritsuka-kun, it's not like _we _killed your brother. We don't even know _why_ he was killed," he spoke as though they were having a casual conversation about the weather, nonchalantly dashing all of Ritsuka's hopes with his cheerful smile.

"What is it?"

"It's magic," the Fighter winked. "It's a spell. If you open it, you can go back to being the person you used to be. You can be the real Ritsuka-kun."

"What?" he looked up sharply.

"What kind of nonsense are you trying to feed him?" Soubi asked harshly.

"I thought you wouldn't believe me, but the person who sent us on this mission is _not_ someone from the school. We were rented out, if that makes any difference."

Ritsuka's eyes narrowed upon the envelope. "Who is it? Who sent you?"

"We don't know. We just complete the missions we're given," Kurogane shrugged, speaking for the first time since his Fighter had produced the strange letter.

Soubi moved next to Ritsuka, as if to protect him from an attack. He remained standing, using his height as a kind of deterrent against the two he suddenly deemed as dangerous. Ristuka had hardly seen him so guarded before. "What kind of games are you playing?" he demanded.

"How cold, Soubi-kun! We're diligently working on our mission!" Fai insisted with a look of mock hurt.

Kurogane stepped forward impatiently, his face fixed with a permanent frown as though he disapproved of their very situation. "If you don't want to believe us, it's up to you. I don't particularly care about what you plan to do or whether Beloved really is dead, I just want to get this over with."

"So you can run back to school?" Soubi glanced sharply at him.

"What's that?" he shot back, affronted.

"Let's all calm down, shall we?"

"If you stay out here where there are so many people there's a greater chance of finding Fai-san's real Sacrifice, you want to return as quickly as possible, right?" Soubi continued, ignoring Fai's pleads for a peaceful resolution.

"At least we have the same name right now," Kurogane bit back, "but even if it was different, I'm not weak enough to be chained down by something as stupid as a name. It's because you let your name control you that Beloved walked all over you!"

Only Ritsuka noticed the slight wince that flickered across Soubi's face. He stared at him, confused and concerned. Only Seimei's name could make Soubi look so pained. Only that name could affect him so deeply. For some reason, anger boiled up within him; anger at the two who had brought back Soubi's unwelcome memories and anger at himself. He was so far from Seimei, he could not even begin to comprehend what kind of relationship the two had.

"Enough!" he yelled, bringing everyone's attention back to him. It felt as if they had forgotten about his presence ever since they had begun talking amongst themselves about a past he was not included in. His hands became fists, shaking angrily at his own ignorance. "You've said what you came here to say, so leave!"

"Don't mind him, Ritsuka-kun, he's just hot-headed!" Fai waved at his Sacrifice

"Who's hot headed?" he reorted. "Whatever. Come on, we're going!" Kurogane turned on his heel, marching away with his Fighter close behind.

"Don't forget!" Fai turned to shout as they left, waving as he ran. "If you want to go back to the person you used to be, you'll have to find us. We'll be waiting, Ritsuka-kun! Come to the park anytime. Of course, you won't get this for free!"

As they disappeared, they left a trail of unmistakable silence in their wake. Ritsuka could only stare at Soubi's back as he gazed contemplatively at their tracks. Slowly, he lowered himself onto the bench, holding a cold hand to his face.

"Faceless. I never thought they'd show up," he muttered, suddenly drained.

"Soubi," Ritsuka calmly took a seat next to him. He paused to fully absorb all that had happened before speaking softly again; "Can I…can I really go back being the real Ritsuka?" he wondered.

At first Soubi did not speak. He linked both hands together, leaned forward, elbows propped against his knees. "Those two…I knew them from the school. The Sacrifice would not knowingly deceive you," he said assuredly. "However, the Fighter used to be known as a capricious liar."

Ritsuka frowned with all he had discovered. Even though they had talked for a while - rather, they had talked and he had listened - there were just too many things he did not understand, and it felt as if he was no closer to finding Seimei's killer than he was when he started. Still, his attention turned to this mysterious letter.His curiosity had been piqued.

"It has to be a fake!" he muttered to himself. "But, even so…I want that letter!"

"Then I'll get it for you," Soubi offered, smiling thinly.

"Even if it ends in a battle? That guy said that I wouldn't get it for free."

"If you order me, I will do anything you want, Ritsuka."

Ristuka sighed. Again, the orders. Soubi always wanted to be ordered, as if he wished to dispose of his free will, as if he enjoyed being chained to someone else. Was that all they were? Just master and servant? Someone who ordered and someone who obeyed those orders? Even though Soubi said he would do anything he wanted, that was a lie, was it not? Adults always lied. the truth was, Soubi would do anything for him as long as it did not go against Seimei's initial orders. Adults always lied.

Ritsuka glared at his feet, as if they were the reason why he could never seem to understand what Soubi was thinking. The more he stared, the more he felt compelled to know why the two men who shared the name Faceless had shown themselves before him. What would he find if he confronted them?

"I…I want that letter!" he cried.

* * *

Thanks for reading! The next chapter will definitely be the last. In fact, I'm practically done with writing it so the update should come in a week or two. Hope to see you there! 


	4. Endless

Well, here's the last chapter to this…four-shot. It was a struggle to choose between Endless, Beloved and Funky-kun. I didn't want to break the -less naming pattern for my chapters by using Beloved but I also did not want to break the 'it's the name of a Fighter-Sacrifice pair' pattern by using Endless either. Why Funky-kun? Well, it would have been…interesting, right? No? Just me then.

* * *

**Endless**

XX

"Ritsuka," his mother called him as he entered the house late at night. "Where were you?" The muscles in his mother's hands twitched. She approached from slowly, swaying slightly as she confronted him by the front door.

"I was with some friends," he replied slowly. It was not a lie. He had been with Yuiko and Yayoi after all.

Something inside her snapped. She shrieked and snatched his collar, flinging him away from her.

"Don't lie to me!" she screamed, grabbing a nearby umbrella and hurling it at him, reaching for shoes and slippers to throw. "Where do you go? You always leave early and never come back until it's late! You hate me don't you? How could you hate your mother? This isn't how you're supposed to be! You were always such a good boy! This isn't how my Ritsuka would think! Give him back! Give my Ritsuka back to me!"

"I - I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" he recoiled beneath her anger.

"Where are you going? Ritsuka!" she shrieked after him as he dashed upstairs, locking the door to his room behind him. He heard her feet pounding up the steps and her fists beating against his door as she yelled for him to come out of his room.

Ritsuka pressed his back heavily against the door as it shook with every hit.

"I'm sorry!" he cried through the thin wood that separated them from each other. Eyes squeezed tightly shut, ears pressed against his bowed head; he tensed his entire body and did his best to shut out his mother's furious screams.

Eventually, she calmed down. On the other side he could hear her hands slide down the varnished wood, sinking to her knees. Muffled cries filtered through the door. He pressed his hands against his ears in vain hope that he could block out the sound of her sobs. He would rather she scream than cry.

"Ritsuka, come back to me. Ritsuka!"

"Mother…"

"Ritsuka, you're there aren't you? I know you can hear me! Why are you ignoring me?" he could hear her cry as she pleaded with him. "Ritsuka!"

He waited for her to leave before attempting to move again. Night descended as if to hide their discord from the world. Rubbing his forehead with the butt of his palm, he wearily flung himself into bed, grabbing and hauling the covers over his head.

Soubi had once asked him why he still stayed with his mother. He knew that, if he wanted, he could move in to Soubi's small apartment just as Natsuo and Yoji had. There certainly would be no objections and he would be safe from his mother's abuse.

_Why don't you just leave her? _He had asked.

_I won't. When Seimei disappeared, I was left alone, so I know what it feels like. I won't leave her alone as well._

Not in the darkness. He would not leave his mother to drown in the darkness of solitude. When Seimei died, there was left a gaping void where he had once been, a dark hole in the space that he would have once occupied. It was a terrible place that swallowed everything. How could he let his mother fall into that hole just as he had? He did not want to leave her in that lonely, empty place.

Ritsuka rolled over; staring at the moon peeking through the curtains, then closer, at the glowing panel of the phone Soubi had given him.

He wondered if the hole he left when he was gone would be big. Maybe no one would notice it. Maybe people would pass it by as if it were nothing. Maybe his life would fade away as soundless as a drop of water on a disk of snow. Maybe Ritsuka, the old Ritsuka that would replace him, would make everyone forget that he had ever existed. Would everyone be happy if he just disappeared?

What would Seimei have said if he told him his thoughts? Would Yuiko and Yayoi prefer the old Ritsuka to him? He knew that he had been popular before so they would probably like him too. Sensei would be relieved, right? She would not have to trouble herself with him if he was the old Ritsuka.

What about Soubi? Which Ritsuka would he prefer?

If he disappeared, would his mother be lonely?

_Don't disappear_

Grabbing the sheets, he threw them over his head and curled himself up in a protective bundle of white. Should he just go back to being his old self? How could he be sure, even if it was possible that he could revert back to being the old Ritsuka, that everyone would be happier for it? Or was he just telling himself this because he was afraid?

To disappear or to remain. How could Faceless expect him to make such a decision so quickly?

_Don't disappear. _

XX

"Hey, Kuro-pii, let's eat out somewhere," Fai suggested as they did their daily rounds through the park. Days had passed without seeing hide or hair of either Loveless or Soubi and both were wondering how long they could stay before they had to return to the school.

"Eat out? Where?" Kurogane asked, stopping by a cluster of thin trees that barely concealed their temporary residence. He was not sure if camping out in the middle of a park was permitted, but he was not willing to be caught by the wardens just to find out.

"I want to go to a classy restaurant! One with good wine!"

"As if we have the money for that!" he snorted, eyeing the tip of their tent poking out from behind the vegetation. If they had money, he would never have dreamed of sleeping in a cramped tent. Surely Nagisa-sensei had knowingly given them just enough for the barest basics.

Fai grabbed him by the hand, tugging him over to one of the wooden benches. Though it was quite warm for autumn, there was a surprisingly little number of people coming to the park. Those they did see were simply passing through to another place, and those who had come to walk their dogs were quickly pulled away by their energetic pets.

He stooped down to pick a crinkled brown leaf from the path. "What do you think about Loveless? Cute, isn't he?" he said, twirling it between his fingers contemplatively.

Kurogane sat along the bench. "You just like the fact that he still has his ears."

With a devilish grin, Fai leaned over him, slinging an arm around his shoulders. "Of course. I always miss the fact that I can't pinch yours anymore," he whispered suggestively, patting Kurogane's head where his ears once were.

Tugging at his arm, Kurogane pulled him down to the bench with him. "Liar," he smirked, "you just want to take them again."

Fai smiled, but it was a half-hearted smile. The thought of Ritsuka and Soubi still weighed heavily upon his mind. "Those two. I wonder if they'll be okay," he murmured.

As if to bring him back to reality, Kurogane touched the side of his face with a hand. "Knowing that guy, they'll be fine. A name is just a name. Even if this name disappears, I'll still be your Sacrifice. Who else can put up with you for so long?"

"That means we're stuck together then."

"Don't remind me," he rolled his eyes.

"Kuro-rin's so -" Fai abruptly broke off in the middle of his sentence as a sudden feeling of danger washed over them. It was as hot and suffocating as he remembered but they were older now and harder to scare. On the contrary, the familiarly uncomfortable feeling only amused him as if he were meeting an old acquaintance with whose relationship had gone sour. "The same startling presence as always," he smiled languidly, calmly turning at the sound of footsteps on the leafy floor.

"We've been waiting for you, Loveless."

XX

"I'm glad you called me, Ritsuka," Soubi smiled and placed a hand on his shoulder as they walked, holding a large umbrella above both their heads with the other hand, though it was not raining the forecast had predicted later showers.

They slowly made their way to the park. It was always quite empty but even so Ritsuka was worried about fighting in such a public place.

Reading his silence as nervousness, his grip tightened affectionately. "Are you thinking about Faceless? Don't worry. It doesn't matter if you want me to retrieve that letter for you or burn it up, if it's for you I'll do whatever you ask," he said confidently, as if it were impossible for him to fail.

Ritsuka's gaze flickered up at Soubi's face for an instant. "You always say the same thing," he muttered under his breath, too softly for Soubi to catch.

He was never sure what Soubi meant every time he said things like that. 'I'll do anything you ask'? 'I would do anything for you'? Why did he always say things like that? Was that not just self-gratification? Even if it was disguised as servitude, he could not trust an adult who said such whimsical things.

"A Fighter's strongest spells usually include their own names. Because of the nature of their name, they're particularly skilled with illusionary spells, but don't worry, Ritsuka, I'll make sure you get what you want," Soubi assured him.

"I'm not worried!" he insisted, staring sourly at the grey pavement as they walked. They were about to find Faceless and he still had not reached a decision about what he really wanted to do with the letter. He did not even know what would happen if they did indeed win their fight. What kind of person was he supposed to be anyway? It seemed that everyone else knew him better than himself.

"Allow me to fulfil your wishes," Soubi's hand moved from his shoulder to ruffle his hair. Ritsuka permitted the action; protesting about it always seemed to excite Soubi's desire to go one step further from his fond but puzzling gestures.

As they continued to walk, they just about managed to catch sight of two stationary figures waiting for them in the same spot where they had first talked, close to the dim lamp light and the empty bench where their confrontation had taken place.

The two smiled as they approached, though the first looked smug and the other only seemed amused.

"We've been waiting for you, Loveless."

"So, you've finally made up your mind? It's about time, we were getting bored hanging around this park like a bunch of stalkers," Kurogane clicked his tongue in annoyance.

"Oh, surely Nagisa-sensei gave you enough money to stay in a hotel at least," Soubi said smoothly, smiling for the single purpose of irritating him.

The two men glanced at each other, their eyes shifted to something peeking behind the bushes. Sharing a look with Soubi, Ritsuka caught sight of a strange black point sticking above the greenery. He tilted his head for a better view. Was that…a tent?

"That's rather shameless," Soubi commented.

"W - What kind of thoughts are running through that twisted mind of yours? The tent is for sleeping and nothing else!" Kurogane coughed, his cheeks slightly flushed. "We're prudent with our money, that's all. Anyway, what's your decision?" he snapped in an attempt to hurry them along to a more important and less embarrassing topic.

"That letter! I want it!" Ritsuka demanded.

Fai waved the letter in front of his face teasingly. "Are you sure? With this letter, you can go back to being your old self, but won't the you right now will disappear?" he asked.

Ritsuka frowned at the waving end of the white letter. "It doesn't matter, does it? Whether I open that letter or burn it is up to me," he said as Soubi stepped in front of him.

With a sigh, Kurogane stepped forward as well, producing a small egg-timer from his coat pocket. "Don't get the wrong idea. We are battling, but this is a little different from normal battles."

"It's more interesting this way, don't you think?"

Soubi regarded them as though they were some kind of wild animal that should be treated with caution. "What kind of game are you playing?" he asked suspiciously.

"No, no, no, Soubi-kun! It's not a game, it's a battle! A very simple one at that," Fai insisted, eyes widening innocently, which did not make him look incredibly convincing as his mouth was stuck with a mischievous smile.

"Don't look at us like that, it wasn't our stupid idea. We're just following orders," Kurogane felt the need to inform them, the preservation of his good name was at stake. "The time limit is three minutes. You have to hit us - and I mean a proper hit, not just a restraint - in that time. If you can do it, you win."

"All we have to do is hit you?" Ritsuka asked, bewildered.

"If you can."

The challenge had begun. Soubi outstretched an arm. "We declare a spell battle!"

"We accept!"

"Don't worry, I'm not going to fool around," Fai assured his Sacrifice, arms outstretched, fingers splayed and hands open wide to stop a spell. "Those who hurt and those who are hurt, wrapped in darkness, wrapped in light, sever the two. Let them know the peace of an empty world.

Soubi frowned at the use of such an obscure spell. He did not know how much Faceless had improved since they had last fought but it seemed his instincts were right; illusions were their strong point.

The world became perfectly white; not even a shadow remained. Behind him, he heard Ritsuka cry out as the ground beneath him turned to white liquid, making him sink below.

"This world is filled with butterflies. Beautiful butterflies that harbour our souls. The world is filled with colour!" he cried but Fai only smiled in retaliation.

"That won't work."

That smile was unsettling. Soubi spun around in a panic, "Ritsuka!"he made a lunge for him as the boy disappeared before his very eyes, leaving the endlessly white world. When he turned back, he too found that Faceless's Sacrifice had disappeared as well, though the fact was anything but comforting. Only Fai remained, an infuriating smile fixed upon his face.

"Lost something?" he asked casually. "Don't worry, Soubi-kun, Kuro-tan won't do anything to Ritsuka-kun, he quite likes him, although you probably can't tell from the way he acts."

"So you're just stalling for time," Soubi realised. Sand was slowly draining through the egg timer to the bottom.

"You can't hit Kuro-chan if he's not here."

"That's quite a cowardly tactic."

"You're so mean, Soubi-kun!" Fai looked as if he could not care less. "Well, you can call it what you like. Even if it's just a bruise, I don't really want Kuro-rin getting hit."

Soubu frowned. They were always like this. Even when they were all at school they were always like this. He remembered their last fight, he remembered the Sacrifice snapping at him when they had met in the infirmary. Why were they always like this? Why did they act like this all the time?

"It's…somewhat annoying," he admitted. "You know better than anyone that your name is only temporary, your bond is nothing but cotton thread, yet no one can question that you are undeniably connected. It's…slightly aggravating."

Momentary surprise was replaced by a wide grin. "That's so like you Soubi-kun! You would rather bind yourself to someone with iron chains!" Fai laughed with exaggerated cheerfulness. "But have you ever tried snapping thread? Strangely, the thinner it is, the harder it is to break."

At his command, a long, thin red string materialised in his hands. "The best way is to wrap your hands around it like this to shorten the length, and then pull," he demonstrated by rolling the thread around his hands, binding his fingers. He gave the thread a slight tug as if to test it before snapping the thread in two, watching the ends fall limply from each other with a somewhat mournful expression. "But that means you have to get entangled in it first. You shouldn't take thread lightly, it can support things ten times its own weight, and it's sharp," he whispered. "It can hurt you if you let it."

Soubi stared neutrally at Fai's downcast expression. Threads might suit Faceless but, in spite of everything Fai had told him, he still preferred chains after all. Something thick and substantial was needed to keep him anchored to the world.

Faceless' Fighter sighed and raised his head, smiling with unsettling grace. He knew that smile. Seimei had often smiled in a similar way just before he was about to do something cruel. However, this smile, though undeniably disturbing, was mischievous as well, and maybe even slightly apologetic.

"Say, Soubi-kun," Fai began, "between Beloved and Ritsuka-kun, which one do you prefer?"

XX

It was only when everybody had disappeared did Ritsuka realise that he was not in the same place as his Fighter; he was separated, perhaps in a different world all together. "Soubi?" he cried, searching for him. "Soubi!"

"Quit shouting, kid." The presence of the opponent's Sacrifice made him jump. Kurogane sat only a few feet away from him, his legs crossed as if he were waiting for something or someone. Perhaps he looked mildly annoyed, but it was too dark to be sure.

"Where's Soubi?" he demanded.

Kurogane shrugged. "Outside somewhere. Fighters aren't allowed in this space."

"What do you want?" Ritsuka looked around. It was pitch black, yet somehow he could see the other Sacrifice clearly, though there was no light.

"Don't be so suspicious, kid. We're just waiting for your time to run out," he gestured to the egg timer on the floor. There were two minutes left. "I'd rather fight but that idiot insisted on taking the safest route. Safest and most boring," he snorted.

"How do I get out?"

"I'm sure you can figure it out. You look like a smart kid. You're probably the perceptive, sensitive type, aren't you?"

"I…I don't know," he replied uncertainly, ears flattening. "If someone asked me to described myself, I wouldn't know what to say. Yuiko tells me I'm sweet and Yayoi says I'm dense, but I always get the feeling that they tell me those things because they don't really know me," he muttered. "Maybe I _will _open the letter if I get it. But…"

"But?" Kurogane probed.

Ritsuka shrugged, looking away uncomfortably. He did not like adults when they were like this either. "But…the old Ritsuka. Will he treat Soubi well? Will he be able to make Yayoi and Yuiko smile? Will he be a good son and not cause my mother any trouble?"

With a sigh or exasperation, Kurogane hauled himself to his feet. "Ugh, for a kid you sure don't act like one," he grunted. "It's always the same, isn't it? It's always 'I'm doing this for so and so.' What about you? What do you want?" he asked sternly, those red eyes narrowing at him were most unnerving.

"I want…" Ritsuka backed away. He glanced at the egg timer. One minute. His hands clenched into fists. He was not going to let them win! "Right now, the only thing I want is that letter!"

XX

"Between Beloved and Ritsuka-kun, which one do you prefer?"

Soubi frowned as Fai's smile only seemed to brighten. His lips parted as if to answer, but before he could speak the ground began to tremble. Both Fai and Soubi lifted their arms to shield their faces as an explosion rocked the fabric of the world. In the blinding light that erupted between them, both Sacrifices were hurled back into their respective places.

Soubi knelt down to help Ritsuka to his feet as the other struggled to stand as well.

"Kuro-tan, you were supposed to keep Ritsuka-kun busy!" Fai moaned.

"Well excuse me for being no good with brats!" he snapped back, wiping himself down.

Soubi did not waste a second to retaliate. "Glass, pierce their empty world!" he cried as the white world became littered with the sparkling colours of a million shards of stained glass. They flew at their opponents, edges sharp and ready to slice through skin.

Fai stepped in front of Kurogane, waving a hand of dismissal "Defend!" he shouted, and a powerful gust of wind blew from behind them, knocking the glass off course.

Kurogane winced as the wind howled around them and the glass attack continued on relentlessly, sometime flying less than an inch away from his face.

As the attack died down so did the wind. He glanced at the timer somewhat triumphantly. All of the sand had run to the bottom.

"We win," Soubi declared.

Kurogane glared at him. "Win what? You didn't hit -" He fell silent. Something warm trickled down his cheek. He pressed finger against a long but thin cut, amazed to find blood on his fingertips when he took them away,

"We win," Soubi replied victoriously.

"Bastard," Kurogane smirked in spite of himself.

The white world collapsed around them and reality rushed in to fill the gaps.

XX

Ritsuka stared at the letter Fai had graciously given him as his prize. Did it really work? How could something like a piece of paper turn him back into the old Ritsuka?

All eyes were on him and it was beginning to make him feel uncomfortable. He had to choose something. Even if he chose not to make a choice, he would still be choosing. What was he supposed to do? Could he trust the words of the strange pair he had only just met?

Soubi's hand on his shoulder startled him so badly he almost jumped a foot in the air, but the man smiled at his sudden apprehensiveness. "Ritsuka is Ritsuka," he said simply, a bold statement that Ritsuka was not sure that he understood.

What was he supposed to do now? His mother would certainly be happy to have the old Ritsuka back. She would not be lonely anymore; maybe she would even smile a little. Maybe Yuiko and Yayoi would be upset but he was sure they would get on with the old Ritsuka with time and Soubi - he turned to glance at him - maybe Soubi would be fine too.

It was best if he just disappeared. No more worrying about where life was taking him, no more feeling helpless as time passed him by; the old Ritsuka would not think about things like that. Now he could disappear and let someone else try living his life.

Life was so boring, right?

He always wondered if it would end soon, right?

He would disappear, right?

His hands were shaking.

"I'm sorry," he whispered as he slowly tore the letter into shreds. He tore it into half, then quarters, again and again until the pieces were small enough to fall through his fingers like little white flower petals onto the grey concrete.

"Hmm, that was unexpected," Fai refused to give a hint as to whether he had done the right thing or not; he looked neither disappointed nor satisfied, only faintly amused by his choice.

Kurogane too gave no indication of what he thought; his only reaction was one of impatience as he took his Fighter's hand in his own. "Come on, our job's done here," he said gruffly, tugging Fai away.

The two retreated, with only the Fighter glancing back as they left, as soundlessly as they had entered, fading away further and further into the distance until they became faceless figures that blinked out upon the horizon.

Ritsuka sat down heavily upon the bench, Soubi moving closer but continuing to stand above him.

"I'm sorry," he whispered in the wake of their silence.

"Why are you apologising?"

His ears flattened against the side of his head. Why are you apologising? What kind of foolish question was that?

"Well, that's because I've done something selfish," he murmured, too ashamed to raise his voice to the sky. He had done something terrible. He had done something unforgivable in that moment of mad selfishness. "Even though my mother will be sad, even though she'll still be lonely, even though I won't be able to remember what happened, I still chose to stay as I am. I was too frightened to erase the me that exists now."

Soubi's expression softened, though Ritsuka, staring down at his own feet, could not perceive the affectionate smile that crossed his face.

"That's fine with me," he said, gently taking him by the shoulders. "It's okay to stay as you are. Ritsuka is Ritsuka. I like the Ritsuka that's standing in front of me now. "

There were those words again. 'I like.' How did people say those words so easily? The woman in the store, his friends, the kind lady down the street, every one of them said 'like' to him. It was as though with those words came an inexhaustible supply that they could throw them around so frivolously.

"It's okay?" he echoed, pained. "It's okay? Don't say that so casually!" he cried. It was all over. How could it be okay? How could it possibly be okay? Adults were liars! They always said things that they did not mean, though always made promises they could not keep.

Enough already. He was sick of it.

"You're a liar too, Soubi!" he cried. His hands remained clenched by his side, though really he wanted to reach out for him. His voice continued to shout in anger, though really he wanted to plead with him. _Please don't lie to me. Be the only one who doesn't lie to me. _

"They always say things they don't mean! How can I trust you when you can say it's okay as if it were nothing?"

"I would never lie to you, Ritsuka."

"You say that, but that's a lie too, isn't it?" he yelled. "I don't get you. I don't understand you at all, Soubi! How can it be okay to just stay the way I am?"

Ritsuka panted, waiting for an answer. Soubi looked at him, staring directly and unflinchingly at him as though he could see into his soul. What kind of comforting lie would he receive? What kind falsehood would deceive him?

There was only silence.

_Is that your answer, Soubi? _

"So you want to understand me?" his words came smooth and clear, delicate on the shivering air. "That makes me happy."

"Don't joke around like that," Ritsuka sighed, exhausted from shouting.

"I'm serious."

"Don't joke."

"I told you, I'm serious," he insisted. "I'm very happy. And the Ritsuka that made me happy is the Ritsuka standing in front of me right now. It's you."

Ritsuka's head jerked up. "Soubi…" he finally managed to look him in the eye. All adults were liars, they said things they did not mean and made promises they could not keep, they did things that hurt themselves as much as it hurt others. He could never understand adults, Soubi least of all.

"I would never lie to you."

In a sudden movement, he was pulled into Soubi's chest. Ritsuka found himself caught in his arms, unable to escape. He peered up at the face of his Fighter, trying to read every flicker that crossed his face.

"I would never lie to you, Ritsuka."

"If…if what you say is not a lie, prove it. I'll be watching you from now on, so don't you dare lie to me," he whispered. His hands grasped the fabric of Soubi's coat as he buried his head into his chest, tired. Maybe, if it was Soubi, he would let himself believe those words; that it was okay to be the person that he was.

XX

Kurogane entered Fai's bedroom, topless, drying off his wet hair with a towel as he muttered about brats and stupid Fighters and thrifty teachers. Being back at school was not something to celebrate but at least the beds were soft and the water warm.

He paused before the mirror to look at his own reflection and the name boldly etched into his skin. It was there as always, the name that bound them together. He caught Fai frowning at him in the mirror's reflection.

"Eh? You should have told me if you were having a bath. I would have joined you!" he complained.

"That's exactly why I didn't tell you," he replied, smirking as Fai's frown deepened. "Besides," he threw him his wet towel, "has he called yet?"

"I'm still waiting," Fai flung the towel aside, but no sooner had he spoken did the phone suddenly come alive with ringing.

Fai glanced at Kurogane before hastily reaching for the phone on his desk. "Hello?" he answered.

"…It's me."

"I know, I was waiting for you to call," he spoke into the receiver. "How should I put this? We lost. Though, I assume that you were expecting us to lose anyway. Well, he didn't open the letter anyway, even though it was just a dud." He laughed, albeit a little nervously, fingers curling around the cord of the phone.

"I see, so that's what happened," the voice on the other end of the line chuckled over the crackling static. His words could hardly be distinguished from the disturbance, white noise sometimes merging with his words.

"He's quite cute, that Ritsuka-kun."

"I see."

Fai paused, glancing up at Kurogane who hovered over his shoulder.

"Can I…ask you one question?" he suddenly spoke with hesitation. He felt Kurogane grip his tense shoulder; a reassuring sign, or perhaps it was a gesture of caution.

There was a pause. The crackling seemed to grow louder in the absence of their voices. His finger twisted itself around the cord of the phone.

"Maybe. That depends. Do you really want to know?" the voice replied. Although he could not see, Fai had the distinct impression that the person on the other end was smiling.

Another pause, longer than the first. It was taking a while to decide whether to ask. Maybe the he was deciding if he really wanted to know or not. Maybe he was wondering if he would just be wasting his breath.

"…Beloved," The line suddenly hissed as though that name was cursed, furious that the taboo had been broken. Fai continued, undaunted. "You're Beloved, aren't you?"

Soft laughter reached his ears through the storm of harsh static. Soft, calculated laughter like the wings of a butterfly, barely disturbing the silence that surrounded the room.

"Beloved?" the voice was amused. "Who is that, I wonder."

"But -" he raised his voice in protest.

"Who is that, I wonder."

* * *

And that brings us to an end. Well, I could carry this one on but I'm a horrible updater when it comes to lengthy fics so I think it's best to leave it whilst I can. Thanks a bunch to everyone who reviewed! 


End file.
